crime

Prosecutors considering indicting ex-sumo champ Harumafuji over assault

16 Comments

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© KYODO

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

16 Comments
Login to comment

Whistleblowers are not looked on kindly here, and I have a hard time imagining that Sumo will want any more problems leaking out again.

The problem is with just who the whistler blower is this time; Takanohana....

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Asashoryu never did time. Harumafuji won't either. They both retired, and will have had

to pay compensation and nothing more. Their reputations are shot, but no jail time.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Let's get this done and over with already. Big deal, two Sumo wrestlers had an altercation! This is getting more coverage than a triple meltdown!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I am sure that this matter is best dealt with "in house".

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Don't skip over the line that said "summary indictment for a fine". This man will never see any jail time.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I do not understand. WHY? This man has paid a huge price for his moment of madness.

Was he provoked, probably. Has he paid for his indiscretion?

A police prosecution will deny the sport of a true hero. Future athletes will be denied a master coach.

A degree of common sense is required here, a degree of compassion can be shown.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I think everyone knows that Sumo is totally controlled by the stablemasters and then on up through the Sumo Association.

This is an incident that got leaked and out of their control, or the stablemasters control. Whistleblowers are not looked on kindly here, and I have a hard time imagining that Sumo will want any more problems leaking out again.

That’s probably the only reason why there’s a problem, otherwise it would never have been reported. Other wrestlers are probably laughing at the “crime” as half of them have been bullied or ganged up on X10 worse.

On another note, it’s not just Sumo, but it is common for a superior at work or an elder adult to slap or punch another adult underling if they upset or offend them. That is what Harumafuji was doing. Any Japanese person knows this.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Hurry up suspended sentence... Next

0 ( +0 / -0 )

looks like i only had the beginning of that. Thanks browny1 for the reason

0 ( +0 / -0 )

educator - your analysis is true, but there is a big "however".

The young sumo wrestler (17 or 18) was brutally beaten by his stablemaster who instructed other wrestlers to mete out similar violence upon him. 

He died, a medical report indicated from heart failure, and the police accepted this. There was no autopsy. The stablemaster wanted to cremate the body the next day after the report.

His family demanded to see his body and were shocked to finnd it covered in burns, curs and bruises. Pressure from the family and media over the week forced the police to re-investigate "properly", and lo and behold - what have we here?

It was only then that any action took place. Up until then it was all a conspiracy of silence and the police certainly had dried blood on their faces - as did the other animals involved.

This was serial violent bullying of the highest order.

The Harumafuji case, while a deplorable attack, is on a scale way way below the death 10 years ago of an innocent person and all the corrupt insiders actions.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

If he'd only done this the morning after the incident, we would never have heard a peep about it. That's how Japanese society works. Learn from this.

Wrong answer, it would never have gone away that easy with Takanohana being the stable boss of Takanoiwa.

Takanohana has a rule that his wrestlers are not supposed to go out drinking with wrestlers from other stables and Takanoiwa broke that rule and lied to Takanohana about his plans that night.

Not only that Takanohana has a HUGE grudge against the Monogolian yokozuna's and more importantly against the Sumo association itself. His pride got hurt big time when he was not voted in as head of the association as he thought was due his right, as "sumo royalty". He has been waiting for a chance to throw egg on the sumo association's face and he got that chance big time with this incident.

Harumafuji will pay compensation, the police won't go to trial, and that will be the endo of Haruma, BUT not the end of this story as Takanohana has a lot of questions to answer with the sumo association, number one being why he denied any knowledge of the incident at a meeting nearly one week after HE filed charges with the Totorri police!

We are never going to get the "whole" story, but Takanohana is going to face some serious criticism too!

It's too bad that Harumafuji is gone! I for one will miss him!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

A stable master forgive me but never linked that to a human troop. Or a trainer of humans before, learn something new day. This situation is getting messy, thank goodness it's in a stable and staff can as always shovel the fallout out.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I'm sorry but years ago someone was killed by hazing I don't recall prosecutors taking action then

2 ( +4 / -2 )

The lawyers also said they will ask for a meeting with Takanoiwa and his stablemaster Takanohana to apologize for the assault and discuss compensation.

If he'd only done this the morning after the incident, we would never have heard a peep about it. That's how Japanese society works. Learn from this.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites